Below are this week’s key messages from the national NHS Estates & Facilities Team. Please email any questions or comments you have on any of these items to: [email protected] or follow the links where provided.
2020/21 ERIC
The deadline for submission of the 2020/21 ERIC returns is July 1, 2021. Reminders will be sent from NHS Digital ahead of the deadline. In the meantime if there are any E&F teams which have concerns or queries regarding the submission of the data for their organisation then please contact [email protected] as soon as possible.
NHS Estates & Facilities and Infection Prevention Control – Joint Webinar
The national E&F and IPC Teams are hosting a joint webinar on June 17 at 1pm. The webinar (involving Adrian Eggleton and Emma Brookes from the national E&F Team) will explore the challenges faced by the E&F and IPC teams during COVID-19 and the structures now in place to help us draw on the expertise as required. Please use this link to access the webinar.
Hospital Car Parking: Data Collection
Thanks to those estates and facilities teams which have returned the spreadsheets for their respective organisations. We are continuing to review those returns and will get back in touch in case of any further queries. We are still interested in seeing the returns from those NHS trusts which have not yet provided this information and would appreciate this as soon as possible. The remaining spreadsheets should be sent to [email protected].
This information is extremely important to us as it will help to provide assurance around delivery of the Government’s commitment to making hospital car parking free for the four key groups covered by this commitment.
The letters from Simon Corben to acute and mental health Trusts along with the associated spreadsheets are still available via the Collaboration Hub. However, further copies can also be requested by e-mailing: [email protected] and marking for the attention of Gill Donachie.
Those responsible for hospital car parking in estates and facilities teams will wish to assure themselves that the spreadsheet for their organisation has been returned, or that action is in hand to complete it. Please note that this request only relates to acute and mental health Trusts.
Local Authority Concessionary Car Parking
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has revised its guidance regarding the offer of free on-street and off-street car parking in local authority car parks to all NHS staff members, health or social care workers, and NHS Volunteer Responders during the COVID-19 emergency response. The emergency parking pass guidance will be withdrawn by June 21, 2021. Further details available here.
NHS England and NHS Improvement Website: Dedicated Estates and Facilities Page
There is now a dedicated page on the NHS England and NHS Improvement website:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/estates/.
National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness
Further national webinars on the recently published guidance have been scheduled as follows:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/national-standards-of-healthcare-cleanliness-2021/
• June 18, 9:30-10:30 - NHS National Standards of Cleaning Webinar: Risk & Responsibilities; and
• August 17, 12:00-14:00 - National Standards of Cleaning Webinar: ‘Living and Breathing the National Standards in the NHS’.
Invitations have already been issued. However, if you would like to attend you can still register directly via the links in the key events section of the Collaboration Hub.
The slides and recordings from the previous webinars (Implementation and Governance and Risk Categories and Blended Areas) are available from the Collaboration Hub.
If you have any questions and feedback on the new guidance then please e-mail: [email protected] and mark for the attention of Emma Brookes.
NHS Premises Assurance Model (PAM)
The slides and recordings from the recent NHS PAM webinars are now available from the NHS Estates Team Collaboration Hub.
If you have any questions and feedback on the NHS PAM please e-mail: [email protected] and mark for the attention of Michael Bellas.
National Webinar: An introduction to Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)
As we drive towards achieving a Net Zero Carbon estate, in addition to reducing energy demand, we must ensure that we source 100% renewable energy.
PPAs are becoming an increasingly popular way of procuring energy but what makes a good PPA and which organisations are they suitable for?
We have scheduled a webinar for Thursday 24 June at 11am with World Kinect Energy Services. This will provide sustainability, energy management, finance and procurement colleagues with:
• An introduction to PPA renewable energy structures
• A guide to pricing
• An introduction to the concept of additionality
• An update to the UK PPS Market and case studies from successful implementations.
There will also be an opportunity for Q&A. Invitations have already been sent to Directors of Estates and Facilities as well as Energy/Sustainability Managers. If you are interested in attending then please e-mail: [email protected] for further information.
Supporting staff to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme
Directors of Estates and Facilities and their teams will wish to be aware of the key message concerning the EU Settlement Scheme which was issued via the NHS England and NHS Improvement Leaders Bulletin on May 21, 2021.
“The NHS has always benefited from committed, and talented health staff both trained here in Britain and those who have chosen to work here from abroad. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens form an integral and vital part of the health and care family, and your skills and compassionate care directly benefit patients, families and communities.
There are less than 20 days left to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, which is open to all EU, EEA and Swiss citizens in the UK until June 30, 2021. The Settlement Scheme will allow EU, EEA and Swiss citizens to continue to live and work in the UK beyond June 2021, meaning they will not need to apply for visas when the new immigration system takes effect. The scheme will also lock in the rights of EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, meaning they will be able to access healthcare, benefits and other government services in the same way they currently do, further details on what people will get from the scheme are available here.
It is important to remember that an application must be made for every eligible child within a family. Parents should check if they need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme for their children, even if they have already applied and been granted a status themselves.
If an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and their family members have lived in the UK for many years or have a permanent residence document or EEA Biometric Residence Card (BRC), they still need to apply to the EUSS (or apply for British citizenship) by 30 June 2021 to continue to live and work in the UK.
For further support, see NHS Employers’ recent toolkit ‘Preparing for the EU Settlement Scheme application deadline’. You can also find the Home Office ‘EU Settlement scheme: introduction for employers’ toolkit here.”
NHS Estates and Facilities: Workforce/Apprenticeships Event
Fiona Daly, National Sustainability and Workforce Lead is hosting this apprenticeship employer engagement webinar on July 12, 2021 from 1:30pm to 3:30pm. Use this link to register your interest and book a place at this event. This event is open to all so this invitation can be shared as widely as possible. Even if you are unable to attend, you will still be contacted so that you can contribute to the estates and facilities skills needs assessment which will follow this event.
Please follow the national NHS Estates and Infrastructure team on twitter @EstatesNHS
NHS England and NHS Improvement National Estates Team: Collaboration Hub
The Collaboration Hub is a protected space for local NHS estates and facilities teams to access key information as well as to collaborate and to share ideas and successes. Access to the Collaboration Hub for individuals from local NHS estates teams can be arranged by e-mailing [email protected].
We have been arranging “masterclasses” to help registered members understand and navigate the Hub more effectively. These have taken place on an ad hoc basis to date. However, following the very positive feedback we are now looking to formalise these on a more regular basis. If you are interested in attending a masterclass (these last approximately 30 minutes) then please e-mail the above mailbox and Joy Heaps and Stuart Robinson will follow up directly.
Thank You
Our thanks to all of those working in estates and facilities for all that you do in maintaining the NHS estate, facilitating patient care as well as supporting the ongoing response to COVID-19.
Please continue to stay safe and access the support material available on the Collaboration Hub. The service could not function without you.
